Decorated veteran to speak at JMU commencement

Maj. Justin Constantine

Maj. Justin
Constantine, an Iraq War veteran and James Madison University alumnus, will be
the speaker at the university's Dec. 15 commencement program.

Constantine, who
graduated in 1992, sustained serious injury in a sniper attack Oct. 18, 2006,
while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. The injury earned him a Purple
Heart and began a long road of recovery, during which he committed to help
himself and other wounded veterans reintegrate into American society.

Constantine is
deeply involved in the work of the Wounded Warrior Project, serving on the
organization's Board of Directors. In 2011 he received the project's annual
George C. Lang Courage Award. This year he received an award from the
Commonwealth of Virginia documenting his commitment to Wounded Warriors, as
well as the Commitment to Service Award from the Give An Hour Foundation.

He is a member
of the congressionally mandated Department of Defense Recovering Warrior Task
Force. In addition to the Purple Heart, Constantine is the recipient of the
Combat Action Ribbon and the Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal.

JMU's
commencement program will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, in the JMU
Convocation Center. Doors open at 8 a.m.